Worlds At War
by paptschik
Summary: A crossover inspired, of course, by SSB, but with its very own story and including several non-Nintendo games.
1. Prologue – in the beginning

**Prologue – in the beginning**

Hyrule. It may not be the most influencing or the most beautiful realm, yet its importance could not be denied. For its army was strong, rivaling others despite their magic and technology, its leaders were wise, the princess herself more so than anyone else, and its heroes were brave, one in particular. In all the kingdoms, in all the worlds, there were few that could equal the courage of Link, wearer of the green cloth. Countless times had he fought for the freedom of Hyrule, never backing down, always fighting for the good of the people, always protecting the innocent – and always victorious. But even for a true hero like Link, there exist obstacles he could not overcome. Not all by himself.

It was night when they attacked.

Reptilian creatures of various kinds. Some walking on two legs, attacking with their claws or simple weapons. Others, walking on all four legs, like the beasts they are, using their giant mouths and sharp teeth to harm whatever got in their way. They did not bother attacking any villages, nor did they care about the different species that called Hyrule their home. They went straight to Castle Town. Soon it became obvious, they had come for the princess. The guards of Hyrule Castle fought well, slaying their enemies one after another. Strong those beasts might have been, but they lacked the skill. But as the battle continued, they showed their real strength. Whoever it was that had sent these monsters, he had countless of them to spare. With every passing second the warriors of Hyrule were pushed back even further and within the walls of Hyrule Castle, it was agreed that the princess was save there no longer. She had to get to safety and only one would be able to do so – so it was decided that Link would go with her, to serve as her protector.

By the time the army of monsters reached the castle, the princess and the hero had long been gone, sneaked out under the cloak of panic and war. On the back of the horse Epona, Link and princess Zelda escaped the area of the battle. As the sun was rising, she had finally decided where they would go now.

"Link." she spoke. He had Epona stop, turning back to her, looking at her, silent, waiting for her to go on. "I know where to go. In all the kingdoms in all the worlds, there are those who could protect me, but I am not sure if I could trust them. Those I could trust, but who wouldn't be able to protect me. Those who satisfied both needs, but are too far away." Those were her words. "But there is one, not too far. A good friend, I know I can trust her. And if she can't help us, nobody can."

The young man in green nodded in agreement. He knew well whom she was talking about and it was the right decision. It took a quick incentive cry and Epona moved on, now in another direction. They were heading to a place that to many seemed weak and unprotected and given how often its princess had been taken away, many may have been right. But the people and the army always pushed the evil troops, second to no other evil all the worlds had ever seen, back. And a single man always managed to save her. Never had she even been harmed.

For they had no other place to go, Link and Zelda were now heading towards the greatest realm of them all.

Mushroom Kingdom.


	2. Chapter 1 – villains united

**Chapter 1 – villains united**

Space. They say it is so beautiful and as long as you look up at it from the ground they might as well be right. Once you've been up there surrounded by nothing but space for a good portion of your time you realize that it really is nothing but a whole lot of black with some bright dots thrown in for good measure.

But it wasn't the vast emptiness of space that bothered Fox McCloud. It was the fact that he had been stuck in the Esthar's space station for over a week with nothing whatsoever to do. The president of Esthar, one of the technologically more advanced places, had hired him and his team without explaining for what exactly, but Fox was sure that sitting around and doing nothing was not part of the deal.

He was standing at a window, looking through the glass, staring at the blackness beyond it. For the first time ever he realized just how incredibly boring this sight was. He sighed. "I hate this."  
"What?" someone suddenly asked. It was a female voice, albeit obscured in a way that made it seem inhuman, more robot-like. Fox looked over his shoulder to see just what he had expected. The bounty hunter with her high-tech power suit – Samus Aran.

"It. This. Everything." He flung his arms around him, pointing at nothing in particular but everything at once. "We've been here for days now and what have we achieved? No, let me rephrase that, what have done at all? Nothing! We're just wasting our time here."

"You could leave at any time. Nobody is forcing you to stay here." she replied in a calm, at that moment almost monotone, voice.

He shook his head. "Oh no. No way, no chance. Not after holding out this long, now I won't just disappear in the middle of the job. If you can even call it a job. We're just sitting in our rooms or walking around this space station."

"And quite frankly, I for one am enjoying this."

"You do?" he asked, showing little of his surprise. "How come?"

"I doubt that someone like you would understand. But even I, every now and then, don't mind some time off. Especially if it is part of a job. Besides-" She moved closer, now standing right behind him. "If waiting I must, then waiting I shall."

He turned around, trying to look her in the eyes, at least as much as her helmet allowed him to, but the look they exchanged wasn't for long, as suddenly she began to walk away.

Looking in her direction and continuing to do so even after she was gone, he was now standing there, all alone. "I just hope the wait will be worth it."

XXX

Where there is light, there also is shadow. For every great hero, there is his nemesis. For every great kingdom, there are its enemies. For every great world, there are its dark sides. And for what some refer to as heaven, there was this place.

The clouds would never vanish, covering the land in darkness, by day and night, probably forever. Still, it was bright. Bright, because of the fire. The flames covering the ground. The rivers and seas of magma, ripping apart the rocks and earth, the very same rocks and earth the vicious creatures who called this place home walked on. There was no green. The world was reduced to shades of red, black and brown, the only plants were a few brave trees, who were still standing but have long been dead, as well as Piranha Plants, devouring those beings they should think of as allies. Nobody was save here. Nobody, but the ruler of this realm that was so very reminiscent of the darkest fantasies and scariest nightmares of ordinary people. He was residing in the middle of it all. A monument of stone. A fortress of evil, that didn't even try to lock out the horror beyond its walls, but welcomed it, for even within there were rivers of molten rock, rings of fire and sentient flames. Few have ever embraced hell like the monster who ruled over it. Who called what others would consider a prison his castle. His home. The beast among all beasts.  
Bowser.

"Hahaha!" a loud voice laughed, and though it wasn't Bowser himself, it was one who should be referred to as a beast as well. King K. Rool. "Just as I told you. They were outnumbered. They had no chance!"

He immediately fell silent, as he heard Bowser taking a deep breath. Even before he actually uttered a word, his deep mighty voice commanded those around him to show some respect. "But that is of no importance." Bowser said as he slowly moved his head away from Rool, to look at one of his other guests, namely Ganondorf. "Isn't it?"

"That is correct. The princess escaped, along with the hero of time. Still, that was to be expected and has been considered within all our plans. It would have been foolish and naive to expect that we would succeed in everything we try. But give it time, let the plans unfold. In the end we will be victorious. No matter what."

"Good. Then we shall continue as planned."

"What about the situation in space?" Ganondorf asked. "Can we handle that?"

"Don't worry. Unlike you, my people have managed to cross the stars. They are already preparing for an attack, although their role may end up being more supportive. Andross wished to take things into his own hands. Generous as I am, I granted that sole wish. In the end, the combination of his and my resources should be more than enough to wipe them out. Especially because the biggest threats are all sitting together, waiting to be taken care of. It'll be easy."

And with that realization, the monster couldn't help but laugh.

XXX

Mushroom Kingdom. A sight to behold. In more than one way. It was a gigantic realm, even exceeding the scale of Hyrule. But it wasn't just its size that impressed visitors and citizens alike. It was also its beauty. Its deserts were drier, its oceans were bluer, the snow in its mountains was colder and most important of all – there was no place in the world, where the grass was greener than in Mushroom Kingdom.

Unfortunately, there was no time for Link and Zelda to enjoy the landscapes. The way from the borders of the kingdom to its capital city, Toad Town, was a long one, so Link had Epona run as fast as she could. When they finally arrived, days had passed since the initial attack of Castle Town.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" shouted a Toad – in fact, not a, but the Toad – as he rushed into the throne room. Getting slower with every step and finally reaching a complete halt while gasping for air he looked at the princess in front of him. Princess Peach looked at her good friend and loyal servant with obvious confusion and even concern. "It's Princess Zelda! She's here and needs to see you."  
Peach nodded. "Please, bring her here. Do not have her wait."

As Toad left the princess began to ponder. What could have brought her dear friend to the Mushroom Kingdom and seem such urgent a matter? Zelda was not one to just drop by, unannounced and unexpected. That was more in line with Daisy's behavior. Her thoughts were interrupted by the noise the doors of the throne room opening once more, allowing four figures to enter. Again there was Toad, leading the guests to the throne room. There was Toadsworth, talking to the guests and so obviously tempted to begin telling stories about Peach. There was Link, once more remaining silent, allowing the princess to do the talking. And of course, there was Zelda, smiling at Toadsworth. But as she turned her head to face Peach, the smile vanished and as he realized that she no longer paid attention, Toadsworth fell silent. She made a step forward, but upon realizing that Link did so along with her, she raised her hand, indicating that she wanted him to stay put. Peach did the same addressing her own servants who acted not unlike Link. Now it was only Zelda that slowly walked towards Peach, the others remaining at the door. Despite the situation she was in, Zelda moved with a grace worthy of a princess. As she got closer, Peach rose from her throne, smiling at her guest. "I am glad to see you, Zelda. It has been a while since last we met."

"The more reason for me to apologize, for circumstances like the one I am finding myself in at the moment had to occur for us to meet again."

"Circumstances?" Peach asked.

"My dear friend, I come to you in a time of need." Her gaze left Peach alone, wandering over the floor. Part of her wasn't willing to believe what she was about to say. It was not the fact in itself that scared her. It was the feeling of acceptance, for acceptance is nothing but a more noble term for surrender. And right now she had to accept the truth and surrender in a battle that had been lost days ago. "I come for your aid, for Hyrule has been attacked. Only barely was I able to escape. By now, Castle Town must already be under the control of the enemy. And I fear that they will not be satisfied with just my castle, for I believe that is my life they are after."

Shocked by this news, all Peach could do in this moment was gasp and hide her slightly opened mouth behind her delicate hand. It was urgent indeed.

XXX

Sometimes, when there is nothing to do and you are stuck in the middle of space, a nap in the middle of what should be the day – it was hard to tell in space – seemed like quite a good idea, even to Fox.

It was the alarm that woke him up. He almost jumped out of his bed, breathing heavily because of the loud noise that suddenly woke him up. It took a few moments for him to calm down. Once though he realized what was going on he immediately grabbed his jacket – the only piece of clothing he wasn't already wearing, put it on and ran out of the room.

In the hallway there was chaos. People were running around, most of which he never saw around here before. The few he did know, mostly those that worked here, remained fairly calm and he used the chance to ask one of them what was going on.

"We're under attack."

"I kinda figured that out already. By whom?"

"We're not really sure, but they appear to be under the command of a giant head. It probably is HIM. We're evacuating the station, anyone who has got a ship and is able to fight is already on the way outside."

The situation didn't leave Fox with too many options. And if it was Andross they were up against he simply belonged out there, fighting, along with all the rest. In fact, no matter who it was, he had to be out there. After all, it was his job.


	3. Chapter 2 – star wars

**Chapter 2 – star wars**

A boy and a girl, young ones, both not far into their teenage years, ran as fast as their tired legs would carry them. It was dark and for as long as the could they had to use the cloak of the night to their advantage. It was not the first time they had tried but the first time they managed to escape. The traps, mazes and similar obstacles had soon become nothing more than a minor annoyance. What truly turned out to be a problem was the queen, mother of Yorda, the young pale girl. Desperate to keep her daughter imprisoned, she personally prevented any and all attempts at escape from coming to fruition. But finally the day had come when she was distracted. It seemed a war, far away but still close enough to affect the people, had occurred. As sad as this may be, it was a most welcome opportunity. A single moment of neglect was all Yorda and Ico, as was the boy's name, needed.

But free at last, there was one problem they had never thought of before. They didn't know what to do, they didn't know where to go in the vast kingdom known as Hyrule.

XXX

Esthar. If you had an interest in technology, this was the place to be. Of course, that wasn't the only reason people loved the enormous city. Thanks to its president it had simply become a nice and safe place to live. Security was as good as and better than citizens could expect, with machines and humans alike patrolling in the countless streets of the metropolis. Little did anyone know about the disaster that was to come, sooner rather than later. Atop one of the numerous buildings reaching high into the sky, a cloaked figure stood, a mobile phone in his hands, talking to someone. "I have reached the city. It should be easy enough to handle the situation. Don't worry. The robots will be the least of my problems. In a few days it will be gone and everything will end up in chaos." A moment of silent relishing followed. "Tell everyone that once I leave the city, everyone within will either be dead or infected."

XXX

"They're freaking everywhere!" a young pilot shouted, just before he was engulfed by the explosion of his own ship.

"This is not going to end well."

Fox could hear Falco Lombardi's voice coming out of the speakers and forced himself to smile. "Don't you like a challenge?"  
"A challenge is one thing. But whatever this is, a challenge it ain't. There's no way we're going to win. Andross never confronted us with such a number of enemies and what's even worse, they don't seem to miss as much as they used to as well." Falco explained.

Fox was about to answer, when suddenly he was interrupted, of course, by Falco. "LOOK OUT!" he screamed. Just then his shipped seemed to notice what the problem was. Someone – or something – was right behind him. "Can someone with a better view tell me what's the situation?" The Arwing rose up and dove down, passing enemy ship, getting as close to them as he could, hoping whatever it was that was on his tail would either lose him or maybe even hit the enemy. He wasn't so lucky.

"It's a rocket! Or a bullet. I don't know what it is, but it's still behind you, you can't lose it!" Peppy Hare bursted out, fearing for his friend. "Do a barrel roll!"

In his cockpit, Fox sighed and mumbled. "Somehow I knew you were going to suggest that." A sudden explosion right behind him forced him to focus on the situation again. As he looked to the side, he saw the bounty hunter's gunship pass him. "Thanks, Aran."

But Samus wasn't one to waste her time on chitchat in a moment like this. "You can't react to them like you would to other weapons." She explained in a voice so calm it was scary. "You see the faces and arms of those things? They are NOT decoration of any sort. Those are genuine faces, actual arms, those things are alive and they react accordingly!" Neither Fox nor his comrades nor anyone else fighting on her side could believe what the bounty hunter was telling them. "Born a bullet, these creatures see only one purpose within their lives. Destruction. It is their destiny, it is what they exist for. They are the true kamikaze fighters and the one being that deserves to be deemed a living weapon."

None of the men fighting alongside Samus were stupid. She seemed familiar with the enemy, they weren't, so they would listen to her. It was the smart thing to do. "You fought them before? So you know what we're dealing with here, besides Andross?" Falco wanted to know.

"I did. And they answer to someone even worse than your Andross."

XXX

Somewhere in this world, within a forest, there was a boy sitting on a trunk. He was sad. Saddened by his own shortcomings. It had been a while since the young boy, known by the name of Red, had left his home to become a Pokémon Trainer, only to be confronted by the harsh reality of the world out there. Becoming a trainer or even a master was a lot more difficult than he had expected. After all this time he still hadn't managed to go beyond the one Pokémon he was given at the beginning of his journey, a Squirtle. He failed to catch even a single, wild Pokémon.

He sighed. "How come this is so hard?" he asked himself. Not that the answer mattered. He just wasn't good enough, yet, so he had to keep on trying.

Suddenly he heard a noise. "Who's there?" He looked in the general direction where he suspected the origin of the noise. And just as expected, he heard it again, now sure where it was coming from. And then he discovered it. Between bushes and trees it walked, with a grace few being could rival. Never before had Red seen anything like this. It was a gigantic, yellow bird.

A Chocobo.

"Whoa!"

XXX

Things weren't going too well. Too many of the ships had either been destroyed or simply abandoned their mission and their payment for fear of their lives. It seemed that, other than Samus Aran, Fox McCloud as well as his team, only a few more remained. There simply was no chance that they would beat the sheer number of forces Andross threw at them. Especially with a new, noticeably larger army, consisting, among others, of Koopa Troopas and Goombas, at his disposale. And they knew it. So they had to give the inevitable order.

"To the Esthar space station – evacuate, and do it quickly! We'll hold them off for as long as we can." Fox's voice commanded via the communication system. Retreat was the only option. The following moments seemed like hours to the few brave souls remaining, protecting the scientists of the Esthar space station. But they seemed to manage to pull through. They were lucky, that the enemy didn't win because of superior tactics or anything similar, but solely because they had their opponents outnumbered. So while the battle was lost – and nothing could change that – they at least were able to hold them off until almost everyone had escaped. Unfortunately, not everyone was that lucky and while the last of the evacuation shuttles was about to take off, the enemy managed to achieve the inevitable: After several critical hits, the space station vanished in explosion after explosion, destroying the final shuttle and the people on it in the process.

"NO!" Fox shouted.

"There is nothing we can do for them." Samus quickly commented. It wasn't as cold-hearted as it may seem. It was just her being rational. They were dead, the others had escaped, all that was left to do was for them to save their own lives. "Everyone retreat, now!"

And so they did. Within seconds all the ships darted away from their opponents into the void of space. And, of course, evil followed them. "We oughta split up!" Fox explained. "Falco, you and the rest follow the others, they'll need protection. Bounty hunter, you and me take a different route, maybe we can lure some of our friends away."

"Understood." was all she said as she changed her direction and left the other ships behind. Fox's Arwing followed seconds later, along with half the enemy pursuers, so at least everything seemed to work as planned.

"Good luck everyone." Fox said. "See ya soon."


	4. Chapter 3 – heroes

**Chapter 3 – heroes**

"I can not believe what you are telling me. Who would do such a thing?" Princess Peach didn't understand. Despite Zelda telling her everything she knew, which admittedly was not very much, it seemed obvious, that several important pieces of the puzzle were still missing. Most of all, it was the identity and the motivation of whoever it was that had attacked Hyrule and seemed so focused on getting the princess, maybe even taking her life.

"Given the size of the army that was sent to come for me, this goes beyond a petty grudge, a vendetta or anything similar. It was the first step of an invasion and as much as it saddens me to admit it, isn't wasn't the dumbest first step either. By killing me or by simply forcing me to hide in exile, they cut of the head of Hyrule. Most won't know what to do now and few, if anyone, lives as secluded and independent as the Gorons or the Zora. I fear for my home and I fear for my people. If they have the power and the resources-" She hesitated. Unwilling to believe what she was about to say, unwilling to admit it. For only a moment, though. "I fear that if they attack, Hyrule might fall."

"Assuming it is Hyrule they want." a voice suddenly said. It came from one of the side entrances and belonged to a young man with blond spiky hair, clothes so dark it was hard to tell whether they were blue or purple and a gigantic sword on his back, causing Link to already reach for the hilt of his own weapon, until Peach raised her hand, dismissing the appearance of the stranger.

"Please do not mind him." she said while looking in the blond man's direction. "Cloud does that a lot. That much has become obvious in the weeks and months since he has joined our forces." As she continued her gaze turned to her guests once more. "But he is a respected man within our army and many look up to him. He knows well about war and suchlike, so we should hear what he has to say." Again, she looked at Cloud. "You wish to continue?"

"I do." he replied while basically ignoring Peach and staring at Zelda. "You think it is Hyrule they want? Maybe. But not like that. As long as their princess is still alive your people won't lose hope. Their spirits won't be crushed. And rightfully so. Because, as everyone knows, you have friends with both power and influence, Peach here being the prime example. They know that they would have to face dire consequences if they simply invaded Hyrule. No, it is you they want. Your death would have turned your kingdom into a lost cause. Forcing you into exile was just a beginning. It was a first step, a minor success, that much is a given. But they won't be satisfied by it. They will wait for their opportunity to kill you."

"So she will have to stay here, where she is save, while our army joins the forces of Hyrule and defeat the enemy." Toad suddenly suggested, much to everyones surprise, although at least Peach herself had a similar thought.

"Which leads us to potential problem number two. As I said, people know about your close relationship with other realms such as the Mushroom Kingdom. They know about the potential threat that comes with this. There is no way an enemy capable of such an attack would be stupid enough to ignore the possibility of you getting away and they should knew what comes next. Which means that the sole fact that they were willing to attack to begin with is evidence of their power, because they are not just willing to assault Hyrule. They are willing face the Mushroom Kingdom and others as well. What you saw is probably just the tip of the iceberg. The enemy must have resources that equal or top the Mushroom Kingdom."

"That's impossible!" Toad almost shouted at this point.

Cloud kept the stern look on his face. "Exactly. It is pretty much impossible for any nation or kingdom to surpass the troops of the Mushroom Kingdom, at least in numbers."

"Which means" a voice suddenly began. It was Link, speaking for the first time since their arrival. "it is more than a single enemy."

The blond man nodded. "That is my assumption."

"But who?" Peach began to wonder.

"More important is the question: How many?" Zelda replied.

"It can not be too many." Toadsworth shared his thoughts now as well. "I mean, if they were, why wouldn't they simply attack us and others as well?"

Cloud shook his had at the elder Toad's suggestion. "One step at a time. If you rush into things it may well be suicide. Depending on who and how many are involved this might turn out to just be the start of a world-encompassing war. In the worst case it may even go beyond just that."

"Now you certainly exaggerate, young man." Toadsworth said. "If it comes to a war, certainly the Mushroom Kingdom can-"

"WHAT?" Cloud interrupted him. "What can we do?" There was no reply. "As I thought. Princess Peach, and you as well, Princess Zelda, we need to be more realistic. We have to go into this accepting the possibility that whatever we're up against might be able to annihilate our entire army with little to no problems."

"Nobody ever defeated our army!" Toad declared.

"Except Bowser." came the quick reply. "Sure, he never directly faced our troops. But he never had to. He tricked everybody, countless times, again and again and just as often did he succeed in kidnapping the princess. Which is all that's necessary. Now picture this: An army, double, triple the size of ours. With the likes of Bowser, the kind who knows their enemy, in other words US, at the top of the food chain. A scary thought, isn't it?"

"Until we know what we are up against, we won't be able to tell fear from fact." Link said. "We need to find out."

"That I can agree with." was Cloud's answer.

"Toad." the voice of Peach, deeper and louder than everyone was used to, suddenly exclaimed. She was acting as suited the situation. "I want you to deliver a message for me."

XXX

Ico had trouble breathing. He was sitting on the ground, leaning onto a tree, his eyes closed. He was panting for air. All of a sudden it had all collapsed above him. All of a sudden he began to comprehend the situation he was in. He was afraid. Afraid, that the queen had noticed his absence and was looking for him, maybe even close to finding him. But it wasn't the only thing that scared him. He also had to ask himself – what now? What would he do? What could he do? He needed to find food, shelter, a place to stay. A village maybe, one where they would perhaps accept him. But him being who he was, what he was, was there any chance of that happening?

It was the grip around his hand tightening that reminded him – whatever the situation was, he wouldn't have to deal with it alone. All that mattered was her. All he did, he did because of her. The queen probably didn't even care about him anyway. It was all about Yorda.

It was then, that he calmed down, tightened his grip much like she did and turned his head, looking at her. She knelt at his side, holding his hand, a worried look on her face. She asked him a question. He didn't understand a word of what she said, but the message was clear.

"I am fine." he said while smiling at her reassuringly, hoping she would understand. She also smiled, although it was a much more hesitant smile, but it was there. Assuming that his condition was no longer in question he let go of her hand and stood up. He began looking around before he turned back to Yorda, still kneeling on the ground. It was weird seeing her like this. Or more likely, it was weird seeing her from his position, looking at her from above. She was taller than him, so usually it was him who had to look up, but not now. Amazing what a difference another angle could cause. Amazing that the pale girl could look even more innocent than she usually does. He closed his eyes and shook his head, dispelling the thoughts that had crossed his mind.

"Huh?" the girl stared at him, slightly confused, while Ico began to wonder if she actually learned a word or if some grunts and noises bear the same meaning in any language. Not that it mattered. "I will look for food." the boy replied while trying to show her through gestures that he was talking about the concept of eating. It took a while, but at some point it seemed she got what he was trying to tell her and nodded. Before he left, holding on to the wooden stick that was his only weapon, he pointed at her first and the ground second, indicating that he wanted her to say here. This time around there was no lack of clarity and so he left, though never going to far away from her position. Always remaining close enough so that he could hear her scream if something would have happened. Not that he expected it. But he wanted to make sure. He wanted to keep her save.

It was all about Yorda.

XXX

Countless pieces of ceramic, clay, stone, glass and more shattered as they fell to the ground. Avoiding the enemy fire at all cost, a young man with dark shorts, a yellow shirt and blond hair leaped behind a giant block of concrete that not too long ago was still part of a wall.

"Saki!" he heard a voice shouting. A familiar voice. Looking in the direction it came from he saw her, hiding behind a pillar. Dark hair, yellow dress, holding onto her nunchaku with both hands.

"Selphie." he said. "Selphie!" again, only louder this time. She still had trouble hearing him as the sound of gunfire covered the entire area. "You need to get to the princess!" Saki screamed, as loud as he could. "I will hold them off as long as I can and don't you dare to object!" For a moment the shooting stopped, the guns remained silent. Still staring at Selphie, ignoring the silence he continued to shout. "Now! Go!"

As he saw her run, he jumped out of his hiding-place and began shooting at the numerous robots that had forced their way into the building, annihilating any and all line of defense as they moved forward. Naturally, he now was the center of their attention, which means Selphie would get away. No matter what happened next, he still dared to smile. It was by no means much, but it was a little success. A smile that became even brighter as more and more of the invading machines were shot and fell to the ground. He didn't know why they were here. Not exactly at least. But he wanted to make sure that they knew one thing: One does not wage war against Sarasa Land and expect no resistance.

XXX

Toad ran, as fast as he could. As he reached the throne room and opened the door – just wide enough for him to enter – he was still gasping for air. "Princess." he said, ignoring any conversation between Peach and her guests that may have taken place at the moment. "They are here."

The princess smiled. It wasn't one of those acknowledging smiles she had to show ever so often as a princess. No. She was genuinely happy. She walked closer to the entrance, even passing her guests without looking at them. She just stared at the slightly opened gate as she stood there, right in front of it. And then it began to open further. Cloud and Toadsworth knew very well whom to expect, but Zelda and Link stared at the entrance, much like Peach, out of sheer curiosity. As she saw two men with the colorful outfits and the mustaches enter, Zelda couldn't help but smile. Unlike Link, who was confused by their looks, she already knew who they were.  
Peach looked at both of them, happily. And at one of them with something that may go beyond mere happiness. She greeted them and turned around, facing Link now. "I think you never had the honor. May I introduce you..." Looking at the two men once more she continued. "This is Link, the hero of time." she said and turned her head back to the Hyrulian. "And these are the Mario brothers..."


End file.
